THE PUBLISHED PEARL: FEATURED ON USGBC

The Pearl recently received an exclusive write-up on the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) website, covering everything from our apartment building’s thoughtfully curated amenities to Tower Companies’ grand vision behind the entire Blairs Master Plan.

As Tower’s second-generation partner Jeffrey Abramson explains in a video interview, The Blairs will ultimately be “a necklace of parks connecting four new residential buildings with a central pathway—a spine that connects everything to a shopping center with retail and restaurants, and it all leads through the complex to the Metro.” The Pearl is the first gem to kick off this project.

A Master Plan for Sustainable Living

The Blairs’ ambitious numbers speak for themselves: our plan calls for a 20-year, $700 million redevelopment right in the heart of Silver Spring. The sprawling project will include 27 acres of metro-accessible space, 2,800 high-rise apartment units and over 300,000 square feet of combined office, retail and restaurants.

A focus on transit-oriented design is at the core of the vision for the Blairs. “Nobody gets the opportunity today to have 27 acres on a transit system, especially one bordering Washington, D.C.,” Abramson says, “so you get the sense of a district or little city, rather than a collection of buildings.”

Another top priority for the community: environmental sustainability. Tower was the nation’s first developer to open a LEED-certified apartment complex (Blair Towns) in 2004, and now 90% of the company’s commercial and multifamily projects are LEED and ENERGY STAR certified. The USGBC piece explains how Tower assembled a dream team of like-minded urban planners for the Master Plan’s operations and design, including Alan Ward, the renowned landscape architect behind the redesign of the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool.

The Blairs’ First Gem

Tower aims to establish The Blairs as a one-of-a-kind experience connecting residents to nature, community and themselves. The Pearl is an innovative first step in bringing that vision to life.

As Ambramson explains, people crave a home where they can destress, expand and explore their health — a place that will provide nourishment on a number of different levels. Each of the Pearl’s amenities and features addresses this need, from our demonstration kitchen to the two-story fitness center with a regular schedule of classes, to our copious outdoor space for running around or relaxing. Everything a resident needs to center oneself is right here. And according to the Master Plan, this is only the beginning.

For more on what’s in store for the future of The Blairs, take a look at the USGBC article. Or connect with us to learn how you can be a part of it.